Old trolleybus at Náměstí svobody sq.

Update (Sunday, 11 a.m.): the strike was postponed to Thursday, as it was announced too late to take place on Monday and not to break the law.

Coalition of Transport Unions anounced a huge strike on Monday, June 13. This means that from 3 a.m. to 4 p.m., public transport in Brno, as well as in the rest of the Czech republic, will stay still.

I’m not a fan of this kind of protests, but at least this time the unions got an important reason. The pension reforms proposed by right-wing government mean that many people should work until 69. In some professions, uncluding tram drivers, this could be quite devastating to one’s health and even quite dangerous to other people. And starting a new blue-collar career at the age of 65 isn’t quite easy.

Read more about the strike at the website of Czech press agency.

It seems quite ironic that on Saturday and Sunday visitors of Brno may enjoy “Transport nostalghia” festival, bringing old tramways and buses back to streets. From what I’ve found out, the best place to join the event is the Technical museum.

Fireworks above Špilberk castle (source: ignisbrunensis.cz)

Hundreds of thousands of specators are going to enjoy the 2011 Ignis Brunensis fireworks festival. If you want to join them and witness the largest local event of 2011, follow three simple advices.

1. Check out the schedule

… and remember that the fireworks take place even during heavy rain.

Prelude at the Denis Gardens (i.e. Petrov cathedral)

Friday, 27 May / 10.30 p.m.

Theatrum Pyroboli, Czech Republic: Metamorphosis

(Best vieweable from main train station and Nové sady st.)

Exhibition at Brno dam lake

Saturday, 28 May / 10.30 p.m.
Flash Barrandov SFX Czech republic: Vitamins for Friends

(Take trams #1, #3 or #11 to get to the lake from the centre of Brno. For the best view, stand at the banks near the Santon hotel and quay, i.e. not further than one kilometer away.)

Competition at Brno dam lake

Wednesday, 1 June / 10.30 p.m.
Storm Artifices, France: Stormy concert

Saturday, 4 June / 10.30 p.m.
Fire Event Les Pyrotechniciens, Luxembourg: Luxembourg Meets Brno!

Wednesday, 8 June / 10.30 p.m.
Vaccalluzzo, Italy: Human Moods

Exhibition at Špilberk castle

Friday, 10 June / 10.30 p.m.
Flash Barrandov, SFX Czech republic: Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances

2. Bring a radio, use public transport

Each of the fireworks has a soundtrack, so tune 88.3 FM at your cell phone or pocket radio to listen while watching.

There will be dozens of extra trams and buses transporting people to the fireworks at Brno dam lake and then back downtown, so it is quicker to get around by public transport than by a car. Also, it’s quite complicated, if not impossible, to park a car near the Brno dam lake during the fireworks display.

It is also wise to get to the venue one or two hours before the fireworks start. You can have some beer and sausage, listen to live music etc.

Remember that Brno dam lake is not very far from Brno – if you find it hard after the fireworks to get to a bus, you can walk back downtown in a hour and a half or so through Komín, Žabovřesky and Veveří quarters (all safe).

3. Don’t miss other events

The fireworks festival is only a part of what is called “The days of Brno, the city in the center of Europe”, which is a totally stupid phrase, but it actually means some great fun.

A vintage tram Caroline riding through the streets of Brno (source: Dezidor @ Flickr)

On Friday, May 27, there is the Night of Churches, which means that churches in and around Brno will be open until midnight and you can explore many places that are usually closed for public. (Wait for another Brno Now post for more info.)

From May 27 to May 29, you can join the Hot air balloon jam (not for the faint-hearted).

If you like old buses, tramways etc., don’t miss the Transport nostalgia festival on June 11 and 12. You can see some really old vehicles riding right in the centre of Brno – and even get aboard some of them.

Check out the official website for more events.

Traffic jam at Hradecká st.

Court order stopping the construction of “Dobrovského tunnels” beneath the quarters Žabovřesky and Královo Pole caused a sort of irony. The investors are supposed to improve the project due to the environmental regulation – but the order also means that both quarters will suffer from heavy traffic for few more months. According to the latest estimate, Dobrovského tunnels will open in May 2012. Hopefully.

Source: iDnes.cz.

Joštova st.

After several months of maintenance, important tram lines #3, #11, #12 and #13 are running through the Česká and Joštova st. again.

Also, the two streets look really nice now – there are trees and new pavament. I hope it will last for a while…

Česká st.

Joštova st. is still being repaired near the Faculty of social science, so tram line #4 will be substituted by a bus line “x4″ for several more months.

Map

Larger map

Travelling to the centre of the town, esp. from Královo pole, Žabovřesky and Kohoutovice will be complicated for the upcoming weeks. Tram junction at Česká and Joštova st. is closed for maintenance and most of the tram and night bus lines changed their paths:

Map of the changes in public transportation (source: dpmb.cz)

Bus lines 92, 93 and 99 depart from the bottom of Veveří st., near to Žerotínské sq.

It is not clear when do the lines return to their usual paths – it depends on the real speed of maintenance and other factors. We only know that there will be some restrictions until the end of summer.

Breaking: the strike was canceled on Wednesday.

Main train station

Strike of transport union workers won’t take place on Monday but on Thursday, if it is going to happen at all.

Government wants to change the controversial tax law that has increased the level of taxation of employee benefits. However the prime minister lacks wide support of political parties and it is likely the law won’t change at all.

The reason for the strike

Unions protest against the fact that the employee benefits tax is now based on a real market value of the benefits, not on the special “employee prices”. Czech railways sell one-year travel permits to customers for CZK 22,000 but employees get these for CZK 250 – so now they shall pay tax as high as CZK 2,000.

Why I am getting sick of this protest

• Strike is a strong weapon that – in my point of view – should be used when an employer treats his employees badly and not when you are not happy with a law. Noone should damage both its customers and employer when he disagrees with a law, at least as long as the law is rational and fair.
• If someone decides to go on a strike, he should have the decency to stick with one date. This causes a brain-pain to everyone who may have problems with travelling to work or to a doctor and in the end it turns the public opinion again the unions.
• Railway employees have benefits that are unusual in both other state-owned or private-owned companies. Why should not they tax them as everyone else does?
• The unions are now hysterically supported by socialists, who actually did vote for the new law last year. Hipocracy 2.0.

Brno is not the only town facing a strike; it is a nation-wide threat.

Update: Strike postponed to Thursday

Transport union workers will most likely go on strike on Monday morning between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., which means that all buses, trams and trains in Brno will stay in depots.

Reason? A higher (i.e. normal) taxation of employee benefits, such as luncheon vouchers or free travel permits. (That sounds as a great reason for paralyzing whole country, doesn’t it?)

Government will discuss the problems with the unions, however it is good to have a car or a bike prepared.

The article is going to be updated.

(Source: iDnes.cz)

How many students can get aboard a bus #53? I could not Google the answer, but the original picture says: MANY. Source: Facebook

The town-owned transport company will likely restore the original route of bus line #53, connecting the 4,000-student dormitory at Palackého vrch with Brno. Town council wants the dormitory station back after 3,000+ students signed a petition and 3,360 Facebook fans cried for preserving the bus-stop “Kolejení”.

The station was cancelled few weeks ago to save approx. CZK 3,5M (€135k) yearly, although this decision made thousands of students, including expats, walk some 500 metres to the nearest stop even several times a day.

It was a pispoor clever step anyway – it made upset only the people who could not vote to the town council of Brno, as the dormitory is inhabited by students from other towns and countries.

It happens two or three times every year: Brno gets surprised by heavy snowfall (although it has been forecasted since three days ago) and traffic gets stuck. Today, quarters Vinohrady and Kohoutovice, both located on hills above the town, were inaccessible by public transport for several hours.

I took these pictures while driving home today:

Cejl st.

Koliště st.

Kamenická st.

The most important roads and streets were cleared, but the other roads demanded travelling at 25 km per hour.

Snow may fall for several more days, so be careful!

Parking lot next to the Moravian Archive in Lískovec is always empty

If you are travelling to Brno by car, just print this article and have it always in your vehicle.

Parking in the centre of Brno

The very centre of the town between (Masarykova st. and Česká st.) is closed for cars. You can leave your vehicle in several places around, but I recommend two: a roof of Vaňkovka shopping mall and a parking house at Moravské náměstí sq. They both have closed circuit TVs which makes the parking somehow secure.

Special tip: Parking at Vaňkovka is free during weekends.

(The only) park & ride solution

If you want to leave your car somewhere outside the inner town and travel there by public transportation, I recommend leaving your car at a large parking lot near the Moravian archive. It is not an ideal solution, as you have to take a walk to a bus stop at Netroufalky st. or a tram stop at Osová st., but it is free and the parking lot is located close to D1 highway.

Parking at the exhibition ground (or at Velodrome)

The streets around the exhibition ground get really crowded during big expos, so it’s a pretty good idea to use some of the parking houses around. You only have to prepare about CZK 100 for a day. The same works for concerts at Velodrome or at Riviéra venues, which are located in the same place as the exhibition ground.

Airport parking

If you fly from Brno and need to get to the airport by your own car, you can park it there for approx. CZK 200 per day (depends on the total time, see a machine-translated price list). Taking a taxi is way cheaper and you can also use a bus connecting the airport with main train station (the ride takes 20 minutes), so think twice about spending your money for parking.

Parking at Automotodrom Racing Circuit

There are huge parking lots around the racing circuit at Brno-Žebětín (Automotodrom or Masaryk Circuit), but during races of Superbike WC and MotoGP, it’s pretty hard to find a free place. Park your car in the centre and take a free bus from Mendlovo náměstí sq. or leave your car in a camp or in a nearby village and take a walk to the circuit.

Parking in suburbs: rent a garage if you can afford it

It’s complicated to find a parking place at late evening in most of suburbs. If you don’t want to walk 3 blocks from your car to your flat, rent a garage via a real estate agency for approx. CZK 1,500 a month.

How can the police punish you for wrong parking?

Especially constables, who should care more about citizens’ safety and lost dogs, are obsessed with punishing drivers for wrong parking, no matter how absurd the situation may be. I know people whose cars were towed away for standing 10 centimeters outside the very parking place etc. – these people swear that the police is financially connected with the tow-away companies.

Connected or not, just don’t give the cops reasons to harrass you. The fines go up to CZK 2,500 (€100).

Brno offers a high quality of life (at least in the context of eastern Europe) for a quite nice price.

Thinking about moving to Brno? These two tables will tell you all the prices you are wondering about.

Please remember that the numbers in euro were calculated on June 23, 2009 — they can change anytime soon.

Usual costs of living for an Erasmus student

Cost of living for a worker or a businessperson

A biker cycling through Pisárky

Enthusiastic bikers will hold the 20th annual bicycle parade on Thursday 23 to point out poor biking conditions in Brno. The event will also be a celebration of the Earth Day.

A happening begins at 3 p.m. at Moravské sq., the ride itself starts 2 hours later.

Source: Brno na kole

Related article: Biking in Brno: map of paths, trip ideas, safety advices